The Faithful Cities initiative seeks to deliver green infrastructure and other practical solutions to holy cities, as well as to encourage a collective spirit of respect for the environment based on the religious and spiritual beliefs of pilgrims and tourists.
Why pilgrim cities? The influence of the faiths and religions cannot be overstated. Around 80 percent of the planet’s population professes a religious or spiritual belief. Religious organizations are the largest social network in the world, with far reaching influence in health care, education, politics and the media. Of greater importance than their influence is the simple message that religions share across borders: our responsibility to care for a shared planet and to unite for a safe future for the next generations. Around the world, pilgrim cities welcome 350 million pilgrims every year, which exert significant pressure on infrastructure, sanitation, waste management, water supplies, etc. Faithful Cities will, in collaboration with the selected cities, show how these challenges can become opportunities for healthier, more prosperous and more resilient urban environments by way of innovative and readily actionable solutions.

Delta State, Nigeria – Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC) Programme

R20 was the International Consultant for Delta State’s TACC Programme.

• This yielded the following results:
• Capacity building with the Delta State Ministry of Environment on low-carbon project development, GHG inventories and project financing
• Production and implementation of the Delta State Integrated Territorial Climate Plan (ITCP)
• Implementation of several pilot projects: household biogas digesters, household water filter projects, solar-powered health center, construction of eco-stoves
• Production of 3 studies: Action Plan for Large-scale Solar PV, Zero Waste Road Map, and Action Plan for Institutional Solar Thermal Water Heating

Dapeng New District, China – Waste Management Program

Following the signing of the contract in December 2014, R20 worked on operational and project planning for the Dapeng New District in Shenzhen. Throughout 2015, R20 collaborated closely with the Dapeng local government on an integrated municipal solid waste management project, in partnership with a Swiss engineering company. Since the completion of data collection activities on landfills, construction and demolition waste, organic waste, as well as household waste, R20 and its partner drafted pre-feasibility studies. The studies provide an analysis of the current municipal waste situation in Dapeng, as well as for three waste infrastructure projects.

This objective of this program is to provide financial support in the form of grants to green businesses, start-ups and small and medium size enterprises led by women, world-wide.
Through this program, R20 and its partners aim to:

• Support low carbon projects led by women that create new green jobs and expand the green economy market;
• Support women entrepreneurs who developed pro-green products and services that improve the community’s quality of life, health, access to energy, etc;
• Build women’s political, technical and financial capacities and strengthen their green entrepreneurship in response to current climate challenges;
• Raise awareness on the challenges and opportunities of the green economy from a gender perspective, and on the solutions to be achieved through women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.

It is a tremendous opportunity for municipalities across the world to adopt sustainable, modern solutions to improve conditions for both the city and their citizens. However, because this is a new trend, there is no definitive guide for a city to become “smart.” For this reason, R20 USA is researching and analyzing solutions and case studies, and sharing them with the appropriate stakeholders with the goal of developing real projects through our global network.
To assist cities, R20 USA is working with city representatives to conduct an inventory of current practices (Smart City Survey) from which they can then identify potential avenues of collaboration. This survey serves as the first step in this Smart Cities Program. In addition, R20 USA and Seventh Generation Advisors are working together to introduce their global network of partners, governments, companies, financial institutions, and academic institutions to the future of the Smart City.

Kita, Mali

50 MW Solar PV Power Plant
In 2015, R20, the Government of Mali, and Akuo Energy signed a contract to install a 50 MW solar pv power plant in Kita. Feasibility studies were conducted in 2015 and construction of the plant started in 2016.

Several cities in Brazil — LED Street Lighting Program
This program involves working with over a dozen cities on retrofitting their streetlights to energy-saving LEDs. In December 2014, the Brazilian city of Nova Friburgo inaugurated this first pilot project to replace LEDs in the city. The city’s energy savings have reached 50%, and the cost of maintenance was cut by 40%. The project was a result of a partnership between R20, the State Department of Environment and the city of Nova Friburgo. In 2013, R20 invested $500,000 in philanthropic funds to the LED lamp energy efficiency project in Brazil. This amount was used to: